So this is going to be a little long winded - I apologize!

Problem:
I am having some knee pain that flares up about 1-2 miles into my runs. It just started this weekend during the long run and I iced/stayed off of it for a day. Felt great again today, so went out for a run and after about a mile it started bothering me again. I stopped and stretched really well, and it felt great again for about 5 minutes before it started hurting again. At this point I had to turn around and walk home! Knee pain is in my left knee in two places... it runs from the front/medial of my patella to the back/lateral of my knee. My hip flexor on that side is extremely tight and I've been stretching that and my hamstrings a lot, which seems to help.

Background:
I am wondering if this pain has anything to do with an old injury - my left hip has a problem where it slips up, out of the rear joint (can't remember exact wording of the injury). I had severe lower back problems and was in physical therapy for 6 months about 2 years ago. I did lots of core work to strengthen my lower abs to try and hold it in place. Could it be possible that my hip is "out of place" again and is causing my knee pain??? (could that even be related?) And should I go see a doc, or should I just rest it for a few more days? I have moved since I was in PT, so I don't have the same doctor any more.
I am fairly sure that the problem isn't shoes... I was fitted for a pair of motion control shoes at PRC a month ago, and since wearing them it has taken away all my knee aches and pains (well, until now)
I am a former collegiate athlete... rower (hence the back problems), female, 5'10", 165lbs.

Any advice or insight would be very helpful. Thanks so much!

Ginny

Ginny,
From the sound of it you may have a muscular imbalance. Your quadriceps are most like overworked and overpowering your hamstrings. Likewise the glutes are likely inhibited allowing the hip flexor to overpower then and contract. This would be readily apparent when performing a squat exercise. If you have to lean over to where your shoulders are over the knees, this is expressing a quad dominate squat pattern. The other important thing to be sure of is that there is not a meniscal injury in the knee. Stop by Sat. and one of the docs can look at your squat mechanics and evaluate your knee. It may be as simple as doing specific stretches and/or strengthening exercises to balance out your lower limbs.
Cheers,
Dr. Jake